Arkansans Happy Storm Wasn’t Stronger

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(Crittenden County, AR) A once-sturdy telephone pole is now ripped to pieces in Marion. In Jericho, a car was crushed by a fallen tree.

News Channel 3 viewers in Earle snapped pictures of massive gray clouds hovering over the town. The National Weather Service says a storm spotter reported a funnel cloud touching down in Arkansas. It moved across the Mississippi River.

Despite pictures and reports of fierce clouds, the storm looked much worse than what it was. Johnelle Willis drove through the storm from West Memphis to Parkin.

“I had to drive 35. I had to slow up, couldn’t hardly see the road, there was so much rain and wind,” said Willis.

Willis says it was like driving through a violent car wash, as the howling winds rattled his car. But while driving through the storm, all he could think about was his son and grandkids in Marion.

“I was worried about them, behind me it looked like there was more clouds going that way,” said Willis.

Willis feared Wednesday night’s storms that pounded Crittenden County would turn out like the storms in Oklahoma.

“It would have been bad. All those houses are right together. There in Oklahoma it leveled a lot of places,” said Willis.

Thankfully, those horrifying pictures in Oklahoma aren’t seen here in Arkansas.

“I was hoping they would be safe. That God would take care of them. They were blessed,” said Willis.